Author: Dick Mangrum

Band students at Seneca High recently took part in tryouts for All-State and All-Region. Tenth grader Brendan Williams was selected for All-State Band Percussion Alternate. Ninth grader Furman Wilson was selected for Region Band Trumpet 4th Chair. Eleventh grader Cali Harbin was selected for Region Band Clarinet 16th Chair and 11th grader Josh Lasky was selected for Region Band Trumpet […]

Traditionally, Seneca’s voters have gone to one place to cast their ballots whether it’s the Shaver Recreation Complex on the south side of the railroad tracks or its voting poll location predecessor the National Guard Armory on the north side of the tracks. Now a second location, in addition to the Shaver Complex, is being considered. And City Administrator Greg […]

Seneca City Council has been given a draft copy of the city’s latest audit and told to expect a presentation by outside auditor Mike Stancil during the council’s February meeting. The audit will track what Seneca spent and earned during the government year that ended June 30, 2014. Last night city administrator Greg Dietterick said the audit will show that […]

After meeting last night at City Hall the Seneca mayor, council members, and others boarded a “CAT” bus for a trip to their Pro Pex building on Shiloh Road, where the city is developing an industrial park. The location includes the terminal for the city’s all-electric buses. And it was that part of the complex that City Administrator Greg Dietterick […]

The Oconee Sheriff’s Office received notification that a 69-year old woman reported missing Monday has been located in a hospital in Louisiana. Deputies had been concerned for the safety of Lorraine Anne Leiss-Lee but learned that, some point, she was admitted to Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge. There, the nurse-in-charge confirmed that she was OK.

The chief economic development recruiter for Oconee County recognizes that a jobless rate above 6% is a sign that the county still has work to do. But Richard Blackwell says the county’s labor participation number of 30,053 is the highest since 2001 when, according to the Department of Employment and Workforce, the number was 30,168. And it prompts Blackwell to […]

At their first 2015 meeting, Oconee County’s 7-member planning commissioners organized and chose new officers. Gwen McPhail, an at-large member, was named chairwoman. The position of vice chairman went to the newly-appoint District Three member David Ownbey of Seneca. The commissioners broached the topic last night of priorities for 2015. Staff member Josh Stephens believes a review of the county […]

Oconee County ended 2014 with a slightly lower jobless rate for December. For the final month of the year, the state pegged the county’s unemployment rate at 6.2% of its workforce—meaning that, of an approximate workforce of 32,000, two thousand members of its workforce were looking for new work. The November 2014 rate was slightly higher, at 6.4%. Across South […]

A Southern Wesleyan University sophomore from Anderson, Malek Martin, made a donation that helps others live. Martin gave blood to the Blood connection last week during the MLK Blood Drive on his school’s campus. The Blood Connection extended its hours for the drive—because of a current shortage of supplies. Sixty-six units were donated.

A wrestler from Westminster will compete in this season’s Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge which considers itself the toughest physical competition that airs on national television. Jake James will get his chance during the episode that premieres at 8 o’clock Sunday night, February 8 on CMT. James is 6’2’, 225 lbs and will compete in the challenge to determine the […]